Privilege of Prayer

Have you ever thought about a 'spiritual workout'? We all know about physical workouts, even if we aren't actively engaged in them! But shouldn't we have a plan on how we keep up with a daily spiritual routine? Over the next few posts, I will be presenting a Basic Spiritual Workout. 

Let us Pray
The Reverend Billy Graham stated, “He has given you His Word, and the priceless privilege of prayer and worship.” We should be very grateful because in many parts of the world we’d be forbidden to pray. Yet, we sometimes don’t take it seriously. We regulate prayer to be used “in case of emergency”.

Author Kathryn Shirey reminds us that “Prayer is our conversation with God.” Yes, we are told to pray and Jesus even gave us a model prayer. So, why do we make it so hard to pray? Too busy? Blah, Blah. Prayer should be a daily spiritual workout. It will empower our soul!

Erik Raymond explained about prayer. “The sweetness of communion with God in prayer should never be assumed but actively treasured and protected. We are, after all, speaking with our Father who adopted us, our Savior who bought us, and the Holy Spirit who seals and indwells us.” He goes on to say “Prayer also has a unique power. To neglect our spiritual health is to neglect our spiritual power. It is like slashing our tires on our car or draining our phone batteries before we leave for work. Prayer is essential to Christian living, so we must diligently keep a close watch on ourselves.”

Use Various Methods 
Different prayer methods will help you sustain your prayer life. Changes in a method will invigorate and reenergize your prayers.

There are a few prayer methods I’d like to mention. Dick Eastman developed a structured hour in prayer. It has 12 elements and you devote 5 minutes to each. It starts and ends in praise! Another popular method is using the acronym ACTS. This helps us remember several prayer basics: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. You can pray through all those elements when you pray or focus on one at a time. I also like the idea of praying the Psalms. One Psalm a day! What a wonderful way to commune with the Most High! Prayer walking can be a great form of intercessory prayer. You can physically walk, or even virtually take a walk. 

Here are a few strategies to mention that will help you in your prayer workout. Keep a journal of your prayer requests and answers to prayer! When you are alone, praying out loud occasionally will help you stay focused. Also triggers, like an emergency vehicle going by, can alert you to an opportunity for prayer. 

Working out in prayer Recap:
I may be alone or with others. My style and method will vary, sometimes according to if I am alone or not.

I may be very brief or devote a significant amount of time, in structured prayer.

I am subject to the sudden urge to pray. There are triggers that should draw me to prayer and the Holy Spirit may even move me to a time of prayer.

There are numerous postures appropriate for prayer. I may be on my knees or bowing in a pew, but when my “heart” is seeking to commune with my King, I will yield to Him in my own way!

When I keep a list of requests it helps me focus. When I mark them or note they’ve been answered it GLORIFIES HIM.


Lastly...

We know that Jesus had a significant prayer life.

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. 
Mark 1:35

I consider prayer part of my daily spiritual workout. Do you?

Be sure and check out my new Podcast - "Training for Godliness". You can find it on Apple Podcast, Google Play or Podbean. This link will take you there! Please download and listen in. There are 4 episodes already and more to come.


Until next time...

"His faithful love endures forever."


Chaplain Gray

Leaders Time in Prayer

I recently was brought to the Gospel of John, Chapter 17. While I have read verse 21 many, many times, the Lord was telling me that this chapter was very significant and that I needed to dig in. Wow, did He open my eyes and bless me with multiple messages. One of the most convicting lessons that day was about Jesus’ significant time in prayer. 

Jesus’ example of prayer at this crucial point is huge. Remember, the disciples and Jesus have just finished what we now call “The Last Supper”. John’s gospel contains what is sometimes called the “high priestly prayer.” Jesus knows He has little time remaining before His death. Chapter 17 is a series of prayers that no doubt were very emotional for the disciples. (There will be more about the content of the chapter in an upcoming post.)

I am convinced that our leaders (YMCA and others) need to spend more time in prayer preceding important decisions, critical conversations and time in front of an audience. 

In examining the chapter, Jesus doesn’t start some new initiative at this late hour. He doesn’t address a large crowd one last time. He simply spent a significant amount of His last hours in prayer. 

We know that throughout His ministry He would seek time alone to pray. The disciples had returned from a ministry tour and told Jesus about all that had been going on. He suggested that they retreat to a quiet place to rest awhile. (Mark 6:31, NLT) Jesus knew His team needed rest and renewal in order to be effective in their ministry. Jesus also retreated into the wilderness in Luke 5:16. In Luke 6:12 He prayed all night prior to ‘calling the 12 apostles’. He taught us in Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Prayer before a big decision is important and it is to be done in private. So, there really should be significant leadership that no one sees. Could this be more important than what we do in public? 

The Apostle Paul understood this and speaks frequently about praying for those under his leadership. We can learn a lot from his prayers. Writer Cheryl Fletcher examined all of Paul’s prayers and made these four observations: 1) pray constantly - this is an ongoing conversation with our God, 2) pray with great affection - Paul likes those he leads, he is often speaking of his prayers of thanksgiving for them and he is genuinely grateful for them, 3) pray for an experience of love and greater Christ-likeness - Paul is praying over and over that those he leads will know the deep, wide and limitless love of Christ and that they will grow, becoming more Christ-like and finally 4) don’t be afraid to ask for prayer - Paul asks! 

Legendary YMCA leader John R Mott said in a speech in 1948 that the “discipline of prayer is essential.” He even recommended to the YMCA leaders gathered at that time “I need only to say that we must make prayer one of the primary objectives of this brotherhood.” 

It seems to me that prior to a big decision, a critical conversation or an appearance in front of an audience that today’s leader must find a way to spend more time in prayer. Perhaps it can be done “out of the office” in some sort of retreat, or maybe just uninterrupted time in an office alone, or with a chaplain or their own pastor. We should follow the example of Christ and make this a priority. 


Would you agree that many leaders are “too busy not to pray”? Are you willing to set aside more time in prayer as you lead? 

James 5:16b The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.



"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...


Chaplain Gray

Beyond 30 Days - Guest Author Autumn Finney

Completion of 30 Day Prayer Challenge

Back in May, a group of people started praying for their YMCA. It might have been their hometown Y, the Y they are now affiliated with, or another Y. It was set up to be a 30-day challenge. 

I asked Autumn Finney, a young YMCA staff member from the Jeep Rogers YMCA in Columbia SC to share some thoughts about the challenge and what she experienced during the 30 days. Autumn is a wellness coach, a swim team coach and a summer day camp counselor. So she is very engaged in the life of her local Y.

Thank you, Autumn, for sharing! We all wish you the very best. I believe you have a very bright future.

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray


Beyond 30 Days by Autumn Finney

Have you ever committed to praying for something bigger than yourself?

To be honest, I am one of the worst people at strictly following thirty-day plans.  I’ve never made it every single day, ever.  But, the concept of a prayer plan for my workplace has pushed me to take myself out of the equation and focus on praying for something bigger, something more substantial.  The very idea that we can change our work culture with prayer is incredibly humbling and motivating.

Through focused prayer for my Y, I have noticed two constants:  First being that prayer in the workplace is not a societal norm, even in the YMCA.  It is primarily reserved for meetings, sports, or other special events.  Secondly, to be the one making that change can be terrifying.

I am a textbook introvert.  My comfort zones are my home, in the company of lifelong friends, and camp.  At camp, in particular, it would be considered socially awkward to be quiet and reserved, as opposed to being silly and carefree.  Children are, for the most part, more gracious and accepting than us crazy adults that think we’ve got life down.  As such, camp is the perfect platform for me to break the stereotypical workplace norms regarding prayer.

At the beginning of the year, even thinking about praying at camp made me incredibly uncomfortable, especially considering the first time I had ever prayed in front of a group was just last summer.  I have come to realize that when I am anxious and not wholly invested in the words I am teaching, I easily lose the attention of my audience.  But, when I let God guide me, the audience stays engaged and big things happen.  Those little moments, five minutes at a time with God as our focus, that’s where change happens.

Prayer is something we have to sincerely dedicate our time to.  It must become a fundamental part of our daily lives to make an impact.  It can be nerve-racking and intimidating to be the one standing out for faith, but it is entirely worth it.  This challenge goes far beyond thirty days, it is a challenge we must take on each and every day if we truly desire to make a difference in our communities.  Fortunately, as Y employees, our entire environment is conducive to change in the biggest of ways.  It all starts by committing to take a moment each day, getting down on our knees, and giving it all to Him.

Persistence in Prayer

In August 2010, the attention of the world was focused on a mine shaft near Copiapó, Chile. Thirty-three miners huddled in the dark, trapped 2,300 feet underground. They had no idea if help would ever arrive. After seventeen days of waiting, they heard drilling. Rescuers produced a small hole in the mine shaft ceiling, and that hole was followed by three more, establishing a delivery path for water, food, and medicine. The miners depended on those conduits to the surface above ground, where rescuers had the provisions they would need to survive. On day sixty-nine, rescuers pulled the last miner to safety.

Like the drill holes for those miners, prayer connects us to the Giving God.

Prayer is the key to our relationship with the Lord. Its a conversation with our Savior and we know the power of prayer, yet, do we stumble, get lazy or maybe even ignore this? If you are like me, you want to strengthen your prayer life.

In Luke 11:2-4 Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He instructed them to begin by praising God, then we can make our requests. He then focused on forgiveness. We must understand that God has forgiven our sins and we are to do the same for those who have wronged us.

Jesus then used an example to show how persistence is important. 

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10 (NLT)

We can’t jump to the conclusion that we can ask for just any ‘want’. In Matthew 7:9-11 Jesus tells the disciples that God knows the things we need, He doesn’t just give what we ask for. I know God as a loving Father and I believe we will learn to ask for what is good for us. Since God is the creator of kindness, you know that He can be kind also.

Finally, Paul reminds us in a popular verse in his letter to the Philippians (4:6) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”

Enhance your prayer life beginning today. 

Keep a prayer journal of what you pray about and record when you see or know the Lord has answered your prayer. You can use a spiral notebook, a bound journal or find some ‘app’ to use. 

My other suggestion is to pray for others by name. Our God wants a personal relationship with us and with our friends and family. Doesn’t it make sense to ‘be personal’ and pray for people by name?

Keep on asking!

His faithful love endures forever.

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray